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By: Rabbi Nachum Katz

The Mitzvah of tevilas keilim is alluded to in Bamidbar 31:23 where Elazar HaKohen instructs the army returning from war with Midyan regarding the booty they have captured “Kol davar asher yavoh ba’aish ta’averu ba’aish v’taher”—All utensils that have been used to cook ma’achalos assuros must be purged of the flavor they have absorbed in the manner that they were used. V’taher—they are then made tahor through an added step of purification.

According to the Gemara, Avodah Zara 75b this added step of purification is accomplished through immersion in a mikvah. According to some authorities¹ this is merely an asmachtah—the mitzvah of tevilas keilim is of rabbinic origin. The Shulchan Aruch² follows the opinion of the majority of Poskim who hold tevilas keilim to be a d’oraisah.

This mitzvah is not to be taken lightly. It is forbidden to use the utensil before it has been toveiled, even in a temporary way.³ If it is unclear if a particular utensil has been toveiled it requires tevillah m’safek. The utensil may not be used in the interim. This stringency applies equally to glass utensils⁴ although the requirement to toveil glass is surely rabbinic.⁵

As Mashgichim we must see to it that new keilim are properly toveiled. The following is a summary of the halachos of tevilas keilim most relevant to the Food Service Mashgiach:
1. When a Jew purchases klei seudah from a non-Jew they must be toveiled before they may be used. Utensils jointly owned by Jewish and non-Jewish partners do not require tevillah.⁶ (For this reason, the mitzvah of tevilas keilim does not apply to restaurants which are co-owned by non-Jewish partners.)
2. Metal and glass utensils⁷ used in direct contact with foodstuffs⁸ must be toveiled with a bracha. Wood and plastic⁹ keilim do not require tevillah.
3. Heavy stoneware or ceramic which is not glazed with glass requires no tevillah. Fine china is commonly glazed with glass; it should be toveiled without a bracha. It should be noted that Correlle is actually glass. Corningware is comprised mainly of glass.
4. Pot covers require tevillah.
5. Griddle and grill tops upon which foodstuffs are placed directly must be removed and toveiled. Stove grates upon which pots are placed do not require tevillah. Disposable aluminum pans do not require tevillah. Some authorities require tevillah if they are sturdy enough to be reused two or three times.
6. A utensil which is only brought into contact with the food before it is processed to an edible state (such as a grinder, mixer, or butchering knife) should be toveiled without a bracha. A wooden utensil which is plated or held together with metal pieces should be toveiled without a bracha. Preferably, such keilim should be toveiled together with metal or glass utensils so that the bracha recited at the time of tevillah will include these keilim as well.
7. A utensil that is purchased used may not be brought to the mikvah until it has first been kashered
8. The utensil must be thoroughly cleaned of all glue, stickers, or markings of any kind. Consult with the OU office if you encounter stubborn rust stains or mineral deposits.
9. The proper bracha, al tevilas kli or al tevilas keilim, must be recited over l’asiyasam prior to immersing the utensil in the mikvah.
10. The entire utensil, including the handle, must be immersed simultaneously. This holds true for plastic and wooden handles as well. Unlike hag’alah, one may not immerse the utensil halfway, remove it, and then immerse the second half. Care must be taken to ensure that water fills the entire cavity of the utensil. It is often necessary to turn it so that the opening of the utensil faces upward to permit trapped air bubbles to escape.
11. If it is necessary to hold on to the utensil during the tevillah, the matvil must wet his hand prior to taking hold of the kli. Ideally, he should wet his hand with mei mikvah putting one hand in the mikvah and keeping it there to receive the utensil from his other hand.
12. If many keilim are being toveiled, a non-Jew may assist. The Jew should recite the bracha and toveil a utensil that certainly requires tevillah (as opposed to those mentioned above #3 and #6). The non-Jew, working under the supervision of the Jew, may then immerse the remaining keilim.
13. Many mikvaos provide a basket or milk crate to facilitate the tevillah of small items such as silverware. To ensure that the utensils in the basket do not weigh too heavily upon each other preventing the water from coming in contact with the entire surface area of each utensil, the matvil should immerse the basket and then drop the individual keilim into it one by one. Alternatively, he may fill the basket before lowering it into the water and shake the basket about within the mikvah.
14. Electric appliances require tevillah. The entire kli must be immersed—including the fixed elements and the cord end where it is attached to the appliance even though they do not come into contact with the food. The remaining length of the cord and the plug need not be immersed. Removable electric elements and cords do not require tevillah. Experience has shown that there is no danger involved if the appliance is allowed to stand without being plugged in until its internal components are fully dried. This may take several days.

The following is excerpted from Al HaMishmar (Teves 5761), a newsletter for OU Food Service Mashgichim. It was written by Rabbi Nachum Katz, who at the time served as the OU’s Rabbinic Coordinator for Food Service Hashgachah.

¹ Rambam, Hil. Ma’achalos Asuros 17:5 as explained by the Acharonim—see Aruch HaShulchan Y.D. 120:3 & 48.
fn2. Shulchan Aruch 120:14.
fn3. Rema 120:8. Nonetheless, the food cooked in such a utensil remains permitted (Rema 120:16 based on the Yerushalmi cited in Tur and other Poskim). However, see Iggeros Moshe Y.D. III:22 (end) who rules that even b’shas hadchak one may not eat soup or other liquids from a utensil which was not toveiled.
fn4. Pri Megadim (M.Z.) O.C. 451:31 (end of kli cheress section).
fn5. Gemara Avodah Zara 75b.
fn6. Rema 120:11—this is the commonly accepted custom. The Beis Meir ad loc. disagrees and it would appear that one could answer his questions by saying that the mitzvah of tevillah isn’t meant as a form of taharah/purification of the utensil. Rather, tevillah serves to show that this utensil has become uplifted and holier (nis’aleh v’niskadesh) through its transferring into the ownership of a Jew. The mitzvah of tevilas keilim is limited to cases which are similar to that mentioned in the Torah where Jews acquired utensils from the Midyanim and cannot be extrapolated to include other dissimilar scenarios. In addition, it is reasonable that a utensil doesn’t truly become holy until it completely leaves the non-Jew’s possession.
fn7 Shulchan Aruch 120:1.
fn8. Shulchan Aruch 120:2.
fn9. This follows the opinion of most of the Poskim—see Tevilas Keilim page 267. There are those who require tevillah without a bracha.
fn10. Pischei Teshuvah 120:2 citing Sheilas Ya’avetz I:67.
fn11. See Kuntress Hilchos Tevilas Keilim (Rav Binyamin Forst Shlita) Section 16.
fn12. Shach 120:2.
fn13. Rema 120:5—see also Aruch HaShulchan 120:32.
fn14. Shulchan Aruch 120:4.
fn15. Iggeros Moshe Y.D. III:23 and Minchas Yitzchok V:32.
fn16. See end of Iggeros Moshe ibid.
fn17. Taz 120:7.
fn18. Beis Yosef cited in Shach 120:12.
fn19. Shulchan Aruch 121:2. B’dieved, if the utensil was toveiled before being kashered it should be toveiled a second time without a bracha. In the Madrich pages 168-170 Rav Genack Shlita argues that one should not rely on Dagul Mirivavah’s (ad loc.) opinion regarding toveiling utensils which are aino ben yomo but weren’t kashered.
fn20. Shulchan Aruch 120:13.
fn21. This is the commonly accepted practice and it follows Shulchan Aruch 120:3 and Taz 120:5.
fn22. R’ Akiva Eiger to Shulchan Aruch 120:3.
fn23. Shulchan Aruch 120:12.
fn24. Pischei Teshuvah 120:3 citing Chochmas Adam 73:15.
fn25. Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 202:6.
fn26.Rema 120:2 as explained by Taz 120:4 and Gr”a 120:7.
fn27. To satisfy Mateh Yonasan and Levush’s (cited in Taz 120:4) explanation of Rema 120:2.
fn28. Because the non-Jew has no ne’emanus (Rema 120:15).
fn29. Shulchan Aruch 120:15 as explained by Taz 120:17.
fn30.Shach 202:6.
fn31. This follows the opinion of most of the Poskim—see Tevilas Keilim page 205 and Iggeros Moshe Y.D. I:57.
fn32. Rav Belsky.